Field of sweet dreams
Rendering of new Marriott Townplace Suites to be built on airport property across the street from the Jackie Robinson Training Complex. DIVERSIFIED COMPANIES PHOTOS
Marriott to build baseball-themed hotel next to Jackie Robinson complex
By Kerry Firth
The new hotel will feature an outdoor swimming pool and a baseball-themed entertainment venue.
When Cary Goldberg, president of Diversified Companies in Deerfield Beach, visited Vero Beach to check on an aviation project at the local airport, something unexpected caught his eye: a field of dreams. Nestled between the Jackie Robinson Training Complex, formerly Historic Dodgertown, and the airfield, the location seemed ideal for developing a hotel that could serve both the aeronautical community and sports enthusiasts. In a serendipitous twist, the property turned out to be a non-aeronautical parcel available for lease from the airport.
Goldberg, the father of three active kids who were heavily involved in sports, always had a business plan of catering to youth athletics. He immediately recognized the potential for a sports-themed hotel that would appeal to the 100,000+ kids and families who come to Vero Beach to train at the facility, as well as to the growing population of private and commercial pilots, and passengers who frequent the airport.
“With the success of Breeze Airways and Jackie Robinson baseball training complex, there was definitely a need for a hotel,” said Chad Maxey, vice president of development for Diversified Companies. “We are not typical hoteliers. We have done some ground leases for hotels but never done a hotel on our own. But we do our due diligence, and we’ve got enough commercial experience and enough partners that do hotels to approach different brands who shared our vision. It came down to a two-way race between Marriott and Hyatt competing for the opportunity.”
In the end Marriott won: plans are underway to build a 116-room Town Place Suites by Marriott on 4.7 acres near the existing Star Suites, which is north of Aviation Boulevard and across from the Jackie Robinson Train Complex. Because of the ballfields across the street, Marriott opted to equip these extended-stay rooms with kitchenettes, so families can keep a supply of drinks and snacks on hand.
HIGH-TECH HITS
“We’ve also partnered with an entertainment company called the Home Run Dugout, which is similar to the Top Golf concept but with a baseball theme,” Maxey said. “The Home Run Dugout will be open to the general public as well as the hotel guests to enjoy.”
FIRST SPECIAL THEME FOR MARRIOTT
Home Run Dugout’s state of the art batting bays are equipped with proprietary, ground-up, soft-toss pitching machines that throw soft, Nerf-type balls. Batters can ditch the helmets because there is never a risk of foul balls. Augmented reality simulates your hit in your favorite professional stadium. Your hit’s exit velocity [how fast the ball comes off the bat], launch angle, and distance are displayed on multiple screens.
“This is the first time Marriott is allowing a hotel to be customized to a special theme,” Maxey explained. “It’s going to have a little bit of a historic Dodger feel to it. You’ll see a lot of blues and whites, and artwork giving homage to Dodgertown.
“Having a baseball entertainment venue is a first. We are so excited to roll it out and we hope to win some national awards.”
The hotel is a good financial deal for the city and the airport, Maxey pointed out.
“The Florida Department of Transportation provided a $500,000 grant to the city and we, as developers, matched that grant to build out all the off-site work,” he said. “It won’t cost the city of Vero Beach or the airport anything. We’ll be paying the airport ground-lease payments, monthly, and all of the property taxes. We give credit to the county commissioners and the airport commission for acquiring federal and state dollars to get this project off the ground. This wouldn’t have happened without the leadership at the airport.
“It seems like a home run for everyone. It will keep visiting families in Vero spending dollars as nearby restaurants and entertainment venues, and it will become a new baseball destination venue for local families to host birthday parties and celebrations.”
The hotel will also feature an outdoor pool and a bar serving light appetizers along with their tantalizing cocktails.
Construction should start the beginning of next year with a projected build cycle of 2 years. Future plans may include construction of a family style restaurant adjacent to the hotel.
Diversified Companies is a vertically integrated business consisting of a real estate development entity, including an aviation division that primarily focuses on the development and leasing operations of airport hangers in small regional airports like Vero Beach. It possesses nearly 40 years of experience and more than three-million square feet of development projects throughout Florida.
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